Tests and diagnosis discussion for Hodgkin's Disease:

If Hodgkin's disease is suspected, the doctor asks about
the person's medical history and performs a physical exam to
check general signs of health. The exam includes feeling to
see if the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin are
enlarged. The doctor may order blood tests.

The doctor may also order tests that produce pictures of
the inside of the body. These may include:

X-rays :
High-energy radiation used to take pictures of areas inside
the body, such as the chest, bones, liver, and spleen.

CT
(or CAT) scan : A series of detailed pictures
of areas inside the body. The pictures are created by a
computer linked to an x-ray machine.

MRI
(magnetic resonance imaging): Detailed
pictures of areas inside the body produced with a powerful
magnet linked to a computer.

The diagnosis depends on a biopsy .
A surgeon removes a sample of lymphatic tissue (part or all of
a lymph node) so that a pathologist
can examine it under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Other tissues may be sampled as well. The pathologist studies
the tissue and checks for Reed-Sternberg
cells , large abnormal cells that are usually found
with Hodgkin's disease. (Source: excerpt from What You Need To Know About Hodgkin's Disease: NCI)

Diagnosis of Hodgkin's Disease: medical news summaries:

The following medical news items
are relevant to diagnosis and misdiagnosis issues for Hodgkin's Disease:

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